Archive for the ‘Press Releases’ Category

Karachi, September 02, 2014 — LG Electronics (LG) took home a total of nine Red Dot Awards in the Communication Design category. Among these, Smart Keyboard, Knock CodeTM and the graphic user interface (GUI) in the acclaimed LG G3 smartphone received “Best of the Best” awards. LG’s innovative webOS Smart+ TV platform was also recognized by the Red Dot judges for its new approach to smart TVs with an intuitive user interface that made for a viewing experience that is both seamless and refreshingly uncomplicated.

The internationally respected Red Dot Awards comprises three categories – Communication Design, Product Design and Design Concept. With 7,096 entries from 49 countries in the Communication Design category alone, the Red Dot Awards is one of the three most important competitions in the design industry, alongside iF Design Award and IDEA (International Design Excellence Award).

LG’s Smart Keyboard was introduced to the world on the LG G3, a smartphone that was developed under the Simple is the New Smart philosophy. In the same vein, Smart Keyboard helps to reduce input errors by as much as 75 percent. Through adaptive software that can analyze typing habits and predict word choices, Smart Keyboard makes typing faster and infinitely easier.

Knock Code™ was developed in response to consumer feedback that existing security systems on smartphones were cumbersome and time consuming. Knock Code™ lets LG smartphone owners wake and unlock their LG smartphones in one convenient step by employing a personalized series of taps instead of a password or nine-dot pattern. With more than 80,000 possible tap sequences to choose from, Knock Code™ is not only more secure, it’s more convenient.

The LG G3’s GUI provides an intuitive, more enjoyable, user experience. Redesigned from the ground up, the GUI features a clean, stylish appearance that adopts LG’s new flat and simple design language in sophisticated pastel colors with a distinctive circular motif consistent with the company’s iconic logo.

LG also won six additional awards in the Communication Design category, including the webOS Smart+ TV platform. LG’s innovative webOS Smart+ TV makes it quick and easy for users to switch from one content source to another, whether it’s a live TV broadcast, VoD service, Smart TV app or media file stored on a connected device. LG’s webOS also allows for easy content search and discovery and delivers a stress-free setup and connection process by introducing user to the friendly animated “BeanBird” character.

“The Red Dot Design Awards for excellence in user interface carry a great deal of meaning for us because enhancing the user experience is how we create value for the customer,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, LG’s Chief Technology Officer. “LG’s advanced capabilities in user experience come from a willingness to listen, learn and form a deep understanding of how people are using technology on a daily basis. We will continue to create solutions that improve consumers’ quality of life.”

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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – 9th September 2014: Emirates, a global connector of people, places and economies, has today marked its inaugural flight to Brussels in Belgium. The new daily service will see up to 16,000 Emirates customers travelling on the daily Boeing 777-200LR between Dubai and Brussels each month.

As the airline’s 145th worldwide route, Emirates will play a key role in further developing natural business links between Belgium and key markets in the Far East. Emirates also estimates that it will deliver a boost to the country’s tourism sector, with Belgium a popular jumping off point for Europe bound travellers from Australasia.

“We’ve had lots of customers asking us to fly to Brussels over the years so this really is fantastic news for them. Belgium’s tourism is thriving and we believe that we can drive demand even higher by providing great competition with our multi-award winning product and service,” said Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Europe and Russian Federation.

“Emirates is the only airline offering First Class seats from Brussels to destinations in the Far and Middle East, providing an unrivalled premium experience for our passengers. As headquarters for a huge number of major global corporations we are already seeing strong bookings from markets like China, the UAE, Japan and India, one of Belgium’s largest trade partners.”

Emirates has been working with a number of Belgian based suppliers for many years, most significantly the luxury chocolatier Godiva. In the last 12 months nearly four million boxes of twin Godiva chocolates, manufactured in Brussels, have been handed out globally to the airline’s First Class and Business Class passengers.
The UAE is a key trading partner of Belgium with more than €4 billion of goods exchanged between the two countries each year. Both import and export of goods have grown steadily since 2009 with 1504 Belgian companies exporting goods to the UAE in the last year.

Over 30 Belgian companies successfully operate within the UAE. In fact, two of the Dubai’s most iconic landmarks were, in part, constructed by Belgian companies. Belgian construction firm Besix played an integral role in the construction of the Burj Khalifa and the Jan De Nul Group were responsible for the reclamation of 186,500,000 m³ of sand, for the creation of the world-renowned Palm Jumeirah Islands.

Tourism to Brussels from the UAE has grown significantly in the last five years with the number of visitors more than tripling since 2009. The new direct link from Dubai to Brussels is expected to grow this sector even further, as well as increasing inbound traffic from key markets in the Far East and Australasia.

“The arrival of Emirates in Brussels confirms the role that Brussels Airport plays in connecting Belgium and Europe with the rest of the world. We are pleased that Emirates has decided to link Dubai with the European Capital and that their Belgian and foreign passengers will enjoy the high quality of service offered by both Emirates and Brussels Airport. The launch of this daily service to Dubai will create 150 new on-site jobs,” explained Arnaud Feist, CEO Brussels Airport Company.

Belgium’s cargo exports account for 86 percent of the country’s GDP and Emirates SkyCargo will help boost this by adding up to 17 tonnes of cargo per day. Key export commodities include pharmaceuticals, automotive spare parts, chocolates, machinery and equipment and electronics.

Belgian First Officer, Amaury De Doncker was in the cockpit for today’s inaugural Emirates flight to Brussels and is one of 170 Belgian nationals working for the airline. The UAE is an increasingly popular expat location for Belgian nationals with more than 3000 currently calling the country home.

Emirates’ new daily flight to Brussels departs Dubai as EK183 at 0750hrs* and arrives at Brussels International Airport, at 1315hrs* the same day. The return flight, EK184 will depart at 1445hrs* and arrives at Dubai International Airport at 2325hrs* the same day.

Emirates’ customers arriving at Brussels Airport will benefit from the airport’s train station that offers convenient city centre connections as well as links to neighboring Belgian cities such as Antwerp and Ghent.
Throughout all cabin classes, passengers can enjoy up to 1,800 channels of entertainment on demand on ice, the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system.

Passengers on all Emirates flights also have the added bonus of generous baggage allowance with 30 kilogrammes for those travelling in Economy Class, 40 kilogrammes for Business Class and 50 kilogrammes for First Class.
Brussels is the 37th European passenger destination for Emirates, following the launch of Oslo in Norway earlier this week. Emirates will expand its European portfolio further next month with the launch of Budapest in Hungary on 27th October.

*Flight times are per summer schedule

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), 01 September, 2014: Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Pakistan’s largest
commercial bank, and MasterCard today announced a partnership which will pave the way for the introduction
of MasterCard’s innovative payment tools in Pakistan that will provide a safe, simple and secure payment
experience to cardholders. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held at the MasterCard’s
office in Dubai between Faiq Sadiq, Group Head – Payment Services, HBL and Raghu Malhotra, Division President
– Middle East and North Africa, MasterCard.

“We are very excited about our partnership with MasterCard,” commented Sadiq. “As Pakistan’s largest bank,
we recognize the importance of providing Pakistani’s with the latest and most secure payment options. Working
with an industry leader such as MasterCard will help us deliver on our commitment to introduce innovative
payment solutions for masses in Pakistan.”

Malhotra commented: “Pakistan is a key emerging market for MasterCard and we remain focused on driving the
adoption of electronic payment solutions in the country. HBL has been instrumental in raising awareness about
the numerous benefits of modern day payment solutions in Pakistan. We look forward to working with the Bank
to continue providing relevant and innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of consumers.”

In a major boost for the growth of electronic payment solutions in Pakistan, HBL, under the new collaboration
will issue MasterCard payment cards including debit cards that will feature the highly-secure EMV Chip and Pin
technology, prepaid cards, premium debit and prepaid cards as well as companion cards issued by HBL Express,
the branchless banking arm of HBL.

Development of customized solutions that address the specific needs of consumers in Pakistan while also
introducing them to the latest payment technologies will be a key feature of this landmark agreement between
the two leading institutions. Furthermore, with an objective to diversify its payment solutions portfolio, HBL will also be issuing MasterCard payment solutions specifically for students and the youth.

Karachi, September 23, 2014 — LG Electronics (LG) will unveil a pair of its newest smartly-priced L Series smartphones at IFA 2014 in Berlin. The L Fino and L Bello are powerful alternatives to higher-priced smartphones, perfect for teenagers and first-time smartphone owners in emerging 3G markets. With blazing fast Quad-Core processors and premium UX features carried over from the popular LG G3, LG is aiming to expand its smartphone footprint in key markets by offering exceptional phones at exceptional prices.

The L Fino and L Bello continue LG’s signature Rear Key button design and come equipped with a class-leading 8MP camera and proprietary UX features that make snapping pictures fun and easy. Consumer behavior research shows that the camera is one of the key deciding factors for first time and teenage customers when choosing a smartphone. LG’s new L Series offers the better camera among smartphones in the same category ensuring that users get quality, blur-free images that are perfect for sharing.

Noteworthy highlights of the L Fino and L Bello include:

Touch & Shoot helps capture special moments quickly and intuitively by letting users tap anywhere on the display to focus and shoot in one single step.

Gesture Shot enables users to simply open and close a hand in front of the lens to start a three-second countdown before triggering the shutter.

Front Camera Light reduces the size of the preview screen and adds a bright white background for softer lighting in self-portrait mode.

Knock Code™ enables users to unlock their LG smartphones in one easy step by tapping a personalized “knock” pattern on the phone’s display.

QuickCircle™ Case gives easy access to frequently used functions such as calling, text messaging, music and camera all from the window without opening the cover.

“With their competitive specs and accessible pricing, we have high hopes for the L Fino and L Bello to continue our successful expansion into emerging markets,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Our newest L Series smartphones represent the best of LG in design, hardware and UX as well as our commitment to bringing best smartphone experience to 3G customers as many as possible.”

Starting this month, LG will begin rolling out the L Fino and L Bello in key 3G markets in Latin America, with countries in Europe, Asia, and CIS to follow. Prices and additional details of availability will be announced locally at the time of launch.

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Karachi, September 30, 2014: Peek Freans Gluco, the third largest brand in English Biscuit Manufacturers (Pvt.) Limited (EBM)’s portfolio, is supporting The Citizen Foundation (TCF)’s annual inter-school singing competition, Obhartay Sitaarey. The final round of this competition will be held on October 11, 2014.

Obhartay Sitaarey is a TCF initiative to increase awareness about TCF’s program and to raise funds for its schools, along with providing a stage for school going children to exhibit their singing talent. Approximately 50,000 children participated in this fund-raising drive from across Karachi. The competition started in September with 450 teams from different schools participating in the selection rounds. After a 5-days rigorous activity, 104 students have been shortlisted to participate in the finale.

Commenting on this initiative, Zulfiqar Ali Ansari, Head of Marketing, EBM said, “Peek Freans Gluco has always supported initiatives that provide a platform for children to come forward and exhibit their talent. Gluco believes in nurturing young kids by providing wholesome nourishment that contributes to their cognitive and physical development, which brings out the best in them. Such activities need to happen more often to explore the untapped talent of Pakistan.”

EBM has been supporting TCF year on year and has fully adopted two school units, a primary unit in Sarhindi Goth and a secondary unit in Quaidabad covering all operational and administrative expenses of the campus.

English Biscuit Manufacturers (Private) Limited was established in 1967 as the first manufacturer of wholesome, hygienic packaged biscuits in Pakistan. For over 45 years, EBM has been a symbol of trust and confidence for consumers, making it the leading biscuit manufacturer of Pakistan. EBM has an extremely diverse corporate social responsibility (CSR) portfolio, driven by a commitment to improving lives. With one of the largest CSR budgets amongst national and multi-national companies, EBM has made significant contributions in areas as diverse as health, education, community welfare, and sports-related causes.